


Determination

by tveckling



Series: Untitled urban fantasy au [1]
Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Blood, Gen, Original Character Death(s), Supernatural Elements, They are not actually vampires okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 02:17:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10732092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tveckling/pseuds/tveckling
Summary: For the prompt: "I can’t believe you’d do something like this!"





	Determination

Mercutio, always so restless, could have been confused with a statue as Valentine stared, his shout still hanging in the air between them. It was hard not to stare at the bodies on the ground, but stubbornly Valentine kept his gaze on his brother and tried to stop his shivering. The blood-soaked figure in front of him with the cold eyes was such a stark contrast to the playful brother always taking care of him that Valentine found himself wondering if it was another person. 

But of course it wasn’t, and he swallowed hard as he saw the usual warmth return to his brother’s face. He jumped when the body in Mercutio’s hand fell to the ground, but settled again when his brother’s warm hand immediately settled on his shoulder. Moving across an alleyway in a heartbeat was nothing for their kind. 

“What is this?” Valentine shook his head and ignored the urge to bury his head in Mercutio’s chest and close out the rest of the world. “You killed these people? We fed a couple of days ago so don’t try to tell me it was-”

“It was to protect us,” Mercutio said harshly, then softened his tone as Valentine looked up at him with wide eyes. “To protect you.”

“‘Protect’ me? By-by killing them? I can’t believe it! I can’t believe you’d do something like this! There is always another way, Mercutio, mom and dad always said-”

“Yeah, well, they’re dead now, aren’t they.” Mercutio narrowed his eyes and some of the former coldness crept into his eyes. Valentine suddenly found it hard to breathe, but Mercutio only shook his head, removed his hand from Valentine’s shoulder, and turned back to the carnage. “I’m the one taking care of us now, and I’ll do whatever I have to to keep you safe. Whether it’s killing humans—who were far from the innocent lambs you seem to imagine them as—or any other awful deed. Do you hear me, Val? I won’t let them get to you too, not as long as I still breathe.”

“But-” Valentine shook his head and grabbed Mercutio’s sleeve. “There has to be some other way! We, I don’t know, we could have-”

“Moved? Fled to another country or another continent? Again?” Mercutio wasn’t looking at him so it was hard to see his face clearly, but he seemed to be in pain as he took a deep breath. “I’m done fleeing. We’ve made ourselves a home here, found friends even—did you know our family originally came from Italy? Mom told me, a long time ago. I don’t want to run anymore.” 

Valentine felt the shame pull at him—he had always been the one to be protected, the one to hide while the others made preparations or fought, and when _they_ had come he had only watched from his hiding-place as his parents-

Mercutio’s hands clamped down on his shoulders and brought him back to the present. The coldness was gone again, and only worry and love shone down on him. Mercutio grinned abruptly and ruffled Valentine’s hair.

“Don’t worry. It’s going to be different now. We won’t lose anyone again, I promise. This time we’re going to fight back.”

Valentine looked out over the bodies once more, then closed his eyes and buried his face in Mercutio’s shirt. Mercutio was right. They would fight, the two of them. Valentine refused to lose anything more than he already had.


End file.
